


Hearts Awakened, Live Alive

by heartjoongs (krucxa)



Series: Raise me up, Take me up [1]
Category: ATEEZ (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Superheroes/Superpowers, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Attempt at Humor, Crushes, Fluff and Angst, Hongjoong is whipped, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, M/M, Mutual Pining, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, bc come on this is a superhero au, mingi n yunho n joong are best friends uwu, no beta we die like men, off-screen violence, seonghwa is SOFT
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-03
Updated: 2019-02-03
Packaged: 2019-10-21 18:07:45
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,936
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17647373
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/krucxa/pseuds/heartjoongs
Summary: Ironically, he's never really felt like a hero.Scorpio's a hero. Hongjoong is not.





	Hearts Awakened, Live Alive

**Author's Note:**

> okay fkshdksh i literally spent the last two days writing this and didn't proofread it even once (1) so. there might be typos n shit!!
> 
> some quick info before u read:  
>  > their superhero suits are basically the ones from the hala hala video, just because 1) yeehaw and 2) i'm the author and i said so  
>  > their aliases r literally just their sun signs so fjshjdjd if u know their signs u'll immediately know who is who but Where's The Fun In That??
> 
> anyway, i hope u like this!!
> 
> _04/02 update: very very briefly beta'd this so it's still likely to have typos cjssj_

As he opens his eyes, taking his time as he comes to, the darkness surrounding him tricks him into thinking that maybe, he's still not conscious yet.

The dull ache on the left side of his jaw brings him back to reality, and he winces, before deeming it a bad idea when he feels the sting of his busted lip.

There's a metallic taste filling his mouth, the stink of dried blood reaching his nose, but the cut opens again and it slowly drips down his chin, wet and uncomfortable.

Otherwise, though, after a quick glance to scan for any more injuries, he's okay. In a way.

Examining his surrounding as best as he can, when he can't actually see anything isn't easy, but at least he can tell he's sitting on some kind of hard, wooden chair. His hands are tied behind his back, and the rope digs into his skin when he tries to move. Sighing, he guesses it's not worth it, at least not now.

The silence is ringing in his ears, until there's a shuffle that would go unnocined if not for him paying enough attention, and then the lights turn on, leaving him squinting at the sudden change.

He blinks a few times, and when he gets used to it, he deems himself pretty safe, despite the situation.

Because the room is empty safe for his hunched self, no one around to point a gun at him, no one to beat him up for information, and for a second, he lets himself feel relieved.

That is, until the door to his right opens, and from the corner of his eye, he sees a blurry figure slip inside.

He straightens his back, but doesn't turn to face the stranger ㅡ it's not like he needs to, anyway, because not even a minute later, the person takes a few steps closer into his line of sight. His eyes widen in recognition, before his eyebrows furrow, shooting a glare at the other.

"The Illusionist."

The stranger smiles, his lips the only thing visible under the shadow the hat perched on the top of his head casts over his face. Now that Hongjoong thinks about it, the stranger's attire looks vaguely similiar to their own suits, save for the mask.

( _Shit_ , Honjoong thinks. His mask ㅡ it's gone. Briefly, he panics over his identity being revealed, before he schools his expression back into a scowl.)

"I didn't think you'd know who I am," the admittedly new villain replies, his smile only widening as he adds, "I'm glad you do, though."

Dealing with villains is a tricky thing, Hongjoong knows that. It still doesn't change the fact how the other seems so blatantly suspicious it almost hurts.

"I heard about you from the Strays. Don't know what you're doing here, though," he squints up at the other, twisting his hands behind his back in hopes of loosening the rope, "what kind of alias even is _the Illusionist?_ It sounds kinda childish, don't you think?"

Smoothly ignoring his quip, the stranger lets out a chuckle, before reaching out his hand in a vague gesture, "oh, yeah. I wanted to offer you a deal. Moved all the way here just for this, see, you could consider yourself special."

Hongjoong only frowns harder, "a deal?"

"Yeah. You know, the two of us, we could actually help each other out a little."

If it's even possible at this point, the grin on the stranger's face turns even larger, seemingly meant to look nonthreatening, but Hongjoong can only think of it as sinister.

"I don't help criminals," he spits out, and it's as if the other expected him to say something like this, because his shoulders shake lightly in silent laughter.

"I wouldn't really call myself a criminal, actually. I _do_ help some people," he responds easily, shifting his weight from one leg to another as he looks down at Hongjoong, amused.

At least that's what Hongjoons guesses his stance means. It's kind of hard to tell, when he can't see half of his face.

"What you're doing is still illegal."

The sentence makes the other giggle, although humorlessly.

"Oh, precious, proper Scorpio. Soon, you'll realize that the thing that's _right_ isn't always the thing that's legal."

Hongjoong's teeth catch onto his lip when he finds himself speechless, but he thinks their talk is already over, anyway.

Because before he can react, he sees the other's lips pull into an easy smile ㅡ smaller, but definitely more genuine than before, and the stranger walks up to stand behind Hongjoong. Then, he feels the rope tighten against his skin, before it quietly falls to the ground.

"Go on," the stranger says, his voice a lot clearer now that he's right behind Hongjoong, "this is actually just some brand new building, I don't even know what it's supposed to be. I'm sure you'll find your way back."

When Hongjoong turns around, the stranger's already gone.

➳

The thing is, Hongjoong's a simple person.

Though, Scorpio is not.

Hongjoong's just your usual college student, with two part time jobs that barely cover his rent and a pair of assholes (yet the biggest sunshines) for bests friends. He likes his boys like he likes his coffee, sweet and soft on the edges, even though he always drinks it black just to uphold his image as a responsible adult. His closet consists mostly of dark and brown coloured clothes, he's coined the reputation as the only person on the campus to get a mullet and if there's anyone that holds other people's wellbeing higher than his own, it's him.

Scorpio, though.

Scorpio's known as the leader of Ateez, the local organization of superheroes. Because that's what the normal people call them. Superheroes.

People with unusual powers, scouted by various organizations over the country. And Scorpio's one of them.

As the first one to present with a power in the area, he's been here the longest. The second to get scouted has presented only a whole year later, and by the time, Scorpio's already gotten used to his own power just enough to hold back from hurting anyone by accident.

That's why, by the time their organization has become public, Scorpio was chosen as the leader.

But, ironically, he's never really felt like a hero.

Scorpio's a hero. Hongjoong is not.

➳

"How's my favorite poisonous best friend doing?"

Hongjoong glances up from the few books in his hands he's trying to find the designated place for, raising his eyebrow when he sees the expectant smile on Mingi's lips.

"I'm your _only_ best friend," he deadpans, immediately earning himself a pout from the younger, and the boy tilts his head to the side, his gaze heavy on Hongjoong, "besides, we're in a library. Please, quiet down a little."

It's hard ignoring Mingi and his prying looks ㅡ just because he's Mingi, and he cares too much about his friends, and even just turning around and gently placing one of the books on the nearest shelf isn't as easy as he'd hope. He's too tired to actually check if it belongs there, which doesn't go unnoticed by Mingi.

"Hey, Joongs, hey," the boy calls out to get his attention, once again dismissing the rules of the libraries, and Hongjoong winces, cursing in his mind the fact that he's got such an attentive person for a best friend, "are you okay? You look distracted."

"Yeah, yeah, I'm just. Tired," he mumbles, waving his free hand in an attempt to brush off the younger's worried glances.

He quickly looks around, turning on his heel before walking into one of the aisles, searching for another empty spot on the shelves, and even footsteps follow.

Just from the sound, he can tell Mingi's literally bouncing on his feet as he trails after Hongjoong, and it probably shouldn't be as cute as he finds it, but he's the self-proclaimed Mingi's hypeman not without a reason.

Even if he can never hide feeling unwell from the younger boy.

"Are you sure?"

Mingi's voice reaches his ears when he stops, taking one of the books in his hands and trying to stuff it in between two other, hardcovered novels. It doesn't quite fit, and he struggles to stand on his tiptoes, because he's not wearing any platform shoes today. Which is unfortunate, because one, they make him look _great_ , and he knows it, and two ㅡ it leads to irritating situations like this one, when his fingers barely graze the book he's trying to push in.

Then, a larger hand lands on top of his, easily slipping the book inside the shelf, and Hongjoong nods in thanks at Mingi.

"You really don't look your best," the boy tries again, and Hongjoong rolls his eyes, biting back a witty remark, because he _can't_ be mean when Mingi sounds so worried about him.

And then, he makes the mistake of looking Mingi in the eye, and his composure crumbles when he sees the puppy look the other's sending him.

"Okay, it's just," he glances away, licking his lips nervously, "it's about what happened, you know, this monday."

He falls silent, aware of the understanding hum that slips past Mingi's lips, and when he looks at the younger again, the worry is still evident in his eyes.

"Oh," the boy shoots a quick glance around before his voice finally drops to a whisper, "yeah, that. You looked kind of beat up when you got back. Does anything still hurt?"

It doesn't even take him a second until he's shaking his head, trying to tune down his best friend's concern, at least a little bit, "not really. See, my lip already looks okay, thanks to the whole faster healing power. There's still some bruises on my jaw, though, but a bit of concealer's enough to make it less visible, so," he shrughs, falling silent as he looks at the books still in his hands, before he adds, uncertain, "besides, that's not really what's on my mind. It's actually what the dude said, that I just. Can't stop thinking about."

There's a light touch on his shoulder, and Hongjoong looks up to see Mingi smiling at him reassuringly through the anxiety that lingers on his face.

"He was going off about some deal he wanted to make with me, though he's never actually said what it's about," Hongjoong continues, furrowing his eyebrows at the memory, "and I guess I'm just a tiny bit worried about whatever he's planning."

"Maybe you should tell the others? Since, you know, that sounds kinda serious," offers the younger, and when Hongjoong shoots him a questioning look he elaborates, "if he decided to capture you again, then we'd be left without a leader. And if I'm the only person who knows about this, I'm not going to be much of help. I might be a Super, but that doesn't change the fact that my power's mostly about healing," he winces at the last sentence, and there's that uncomfortable feeling Hongjoong always gets when he sees others insecure. He's been witnessing that an awful lot, lately.

"Hey, don't say that. Healing's a fundamental power. It's certainly more important than, like, getting people sick or even killed just by touch," and maybe the last party's very specific, but hey, he didn't say he wasn't witnessing the emotion in his own self either, "but I'll probably do that. Thanks, Mingi."

And the boy smiles back at Hongjoong so wide, it makes him feel a little better about the whole situation.

➳

He shuffles his feet anxiously as he stands in front of the door of the conference room, his hands trembling where he keeps them tucked inside the pockets of his suit. He glances at the clock hanged on the wall, and he knows he's already late, but for some reason he finds himself nervous when he thinks about explaining the rest of them about the villain.

He cheks his hat, adjusting it for the second time in the last minute, and he tugs on the mask, just to make sure it covers enough of his face.

Technically, it's not like his members finding out his identity would be a _bad_ thing. Honestly, some of them don't even bother hiding who they are ㅡ they literally call Yunho by his name, instead of an alias. But there was some sort of a silent agreement in between most of them about keeping their identities mostly hidden from the rest. And Hongjoong's grateful for that.

Because he'd rather keep his civil life away from the organization. Scorpio's a hero, a leader, someone that Hongjoong's always aspired to be. But he's only ever confident while putting on the suit.

(Maybe, deep down, he's actually just scared that if the rest of his members ever found out his true identity, they'd realize how he's actually not as perfect as the idolized Scorpio. He doesn't let himself think about it more, though.)

He takes a deep breath, holding it in before he heaves a sigh. Then, he cracks his knuckles to calm himself down, and grasps the handle, slowly turning it and opening the door.

Immediately, he's met with a warm laugh, which he recognizes as Yunho's ㅡ they must've started joking around while waiting for him, and he feels bad for a second, for making them wait.

Then, it's quickly followed by a dramatic gasp as Leo, who Hongjoong still struggles not to casually call Mingi in his mind, exclaims, "Fashionably late? How extra of you, Scorpio!"

He lets himself roll his eyes, his friend's presence already enough to help him settle down his nerves, "yeah, sorry about that," he replies smoothly, before turning to look at every single one of his members (and if his gaze hovers a bit on Aries, it's nobody's business), "I actually have something to tell you. All of you, that is."

He watches as the cheery expressions turn serious, as Gemini leans over the table, attentive, and Libra nods silently, his eyes curious.

The only person who still sends him a small smile is Aries, and Hongjoong knows it's meant to be reassuring, because it _works_. Even if it only appears for a second, and he can't fully see it because of the mask, just the other's eyes crinkling up gently, it's still a comforting gesture that he's thankful for.

(Here he is again, getting lost in Aries' deep, soothing gaze. It's a bad habit, really. He doesn't even know the other besides his alias; and yet, it keeps on happening.)

He clears his throat, coming up to the table and resting his hands on it as he supports his weight on it. He shoots a quick glance around again, before speaking up, "you've heard about the Illusionist, right? The one that Strays have been trying to catch for the last month."

There's a chorus of confirming hums and a few collective _yes_ , which helps a bit, because he honestly doesn't have the time to explain the villain's existence right now, "he's the one that snatched me for a few hours this Monday."

Gemini's mouth falls open at the words, Cancer's eyes widening visibly as he huffs out a simple _oh_ , and Hongjoong tries to ignore both Mingi's overexaggerated attempts at looking shocked by what he already knows, and the concerned way Aries is openly staring at him.

"Wait, what is he even doing here? Isn't Strays' area like, a whole two cities away?" comments Sagittarius, and Hongjoong can only shrug in reply.

"God, _I know_. And that's why I'm worried."

At that, both Sagittarius and Gemini nod, even as Libra tenses up in his seat. Hongjoong takes notice of it, noting in his mind to ask Libra later if something about the situation makes him exceptionally uncomfortable, before he cracks a smile that he hopes looks confident, "that's all I wanted to say, though. You're free to go your own ways, now."

(After the meeting ends and most of his members have walked off, he stays inside the room, staring into space as he mulls it all over once again. He's too preoccupied to notice anyone's lingering presence, that is, until a hand carefully lands on top of his shoulder.

He blinks back into reality, turning to face the person ㅡ and his breath hitches when he notices it's Aries, because of course that would be him, and the other's prying gaze is trained on him for a few seconds before he asks, "are you okay?"

And Hongjoong finds it kind of ironic, how everyone's been asking him the same question lately, but he only smiles in reply, because he doesn't trust his voice not to crack.

Aries doesn't seem convinced, but he doesn't pry further, his thumb gently rubbing a comforting circle through his jacket before he speaks up again, "you know, if you ever need to talk, I'm here," he says, before his gaze falls to the ground, "I'm sure it must be hard, being the leader."

They stay silent for a while, until Hongjoong finally's confident enough to murmur a small _thanks_. Then, he watches as Aries smiles at him once more, before leaving.)

➳

Having two part time jobs on top of college and being a kind of famous superhero feels a lot like juggling the time he can spend on all of the above, not mentioning the few hours left he has for quick power naps instead of a full night's sleep.

Being the assistant at the campus library is fairly easy, and he likes the calming vibe the place gives off, with the usual bookworms and sometimes desperate students staying up to finish their essays.

His work as a waiter at the local coffee shop is a little more tiring compared to it.

Not to mention the obvious specific customers, there's the fact that at first, he's thought of it as his safe space from his superhero shenanigans (now the library's deemed it instead). Until the café invested in a TV and now he has to see his own masked face on video every now and then, hearing the customers talking excitedly about whatever appears on the news, and he still gets flustered at some of the comments.

Oh, he almost forgot about the most important thing. Or, more like a person.

Seonghwa.

He's older than Hongjoong by a few months, and one of the students in the same college as him. They met on their first year, when the taller boy walked into a class they shared at the time, taking a seat next to Hongjoong before smiling apologetically when he knocks his chair against Hongjoong's bag accidentally.

He's not sure how, but sometime along their shared classes, he got attached to the older's cheery _hello_ 's and kind attempts at small talk.

They're not exactly friends. More like, acquaintances. Seonghwa knows Mingi, gets along well with Yunho, and because of that, Hongjoong got used to seeing him a lot while meeting up with his best friends.

And lately, he's noticed the weird way his heart seems to twist every time the older as much as smiles at him in greeting. It's kind of unsettling, because Hongjoong doesn't like having crushes, just because of how invested he gets in them ㅡ he's a Scorpio, okay, let him live ㅡ so he ignores it, blaming it on heart palpitations and old age or whatever he can think of at the time.

But the worst thing is, Seonghwa's a usual at the café, which also means that Hongjoong doesn't get a second of peace.

Like at this moment, because he hears the bell chime as the door of the shop opens, and turns to glance at the newcomer, his heart jumping up to his throat when he sees it's Seonghwa.

The older's dark hair looks ruffled, as if he's been running his hands through it for the last five minutes, and there are dark circles lining his eyes. His shoulders are hunched, and in general the boy looks like he hasn't slept in days. When the boy blinks and his gaze locks on Hongjoong, the smile the older sends him doesn't fool Hongjoong, even if it does change Seonghwa's entire expression, his face lighting up in an adorable way that Hongjoong doesn't dare think about more.

So, he looks around the room, checking if any other customers want anything before his gaze falls back to Seonghwa, already seated by a window, and he walks up to the older.

"The usual?" he asks, watching as Seonghwa's eyes snap from his phone to meet Hongjoong's own, and the older nods.

"Hello to you too," the boy murmurs, a cheeky grin pulling at his lips and Hongjoong huffs out a surprised chuckle, hoping the older doesn't notice the pink dusting his cheeks.

"What are you up to? You look exhausted," he comments, the first thing that comes to his mind, and the older nibbles on his lip for a second before replying.

"Just, you know, had a bunch of assignments that I procrastinated on until the last minute," he shrugs, his gaze wandering around Hongjoong's face, who feels exposed under Seonghwa's curious eyes, "I _knew_ it was a bad idea, and yet- wait. Is that a bruise?"

Hongjoong's eyes widen and he can only panic briefly, because Seonghwa's already standing up, leaning down so he can see it clearly, his hand carefully cupping Hongjoong's jaw and gently pushing his head back. His eyes furrow when he sees the pale purple blooming under the skin, his finger coming to trace the bruise but retracting when Hongjoong hisses at the contact.

Shit. He should've checked if the concealer smudged away before taking his shift.

Fortunately, Seonghwa doesn't question _why_ he's got the bruise; instead, his voice drops when he steps back, "it looks kinda nasty."

Hongjoong winces, "it sure does feel that way."

And before any of them can say anything more, Hongjoong's attention turns to the sudden wave of whispers that goes through the coffee shop, and he thinks he knows why, as he glances at the TV on the wall.

There, plays a video of a blurry Scorpio and Gemini jumping down from a building, before running off the screen. The quality is low, especially in the dark of the night, and he can't quite hear what's said on the news, but he doesn't have to ㅡ he knows what mission they were on yesterday, anyway.

Turning back to steal a glance at Seonghwa, he's startled to find the boy already looking back at him, and there's a glint of _something_ that Hongjoong can't name in his eyes, before he casually says, "man, Scorpio's pretty cool."

Hongjoong wills down the blush that creeps on him at the words, and he hesitantly nods, "yeah... kind of mysterious, aren't they? The Supers, I mean."

It feels weird to say that, but he's gotten used to it by now. Kinda.

"You're right. Though, I prefer the water signs," the boy laughs, and for a second Hongjoong feels embarrassed at the simple aliases, "who's you favorite, though?"

He stills at the words, a certain deep pair of eyes popping into his mind, and he hastily replies, "Aries."

Surprise paints over Seonghwa's face, his cheeks tinting a rosy pink, but it's gone as fast as it appeared, and Hongjoong's unsure if it actually happened or if he just imagined it, because the older's already smiling at him, amusement clear in his eyes, "great taste."

And what's Hongjoong supposed to say to that? _Thank you_? No, that sounds stupid.

A shout from his manager to get back to work saves him from his internal panic, and he only waves at Seonghwa before scurrying away.

➳

At times like this one, he almost forgets about his life as Scorpio. Because, who would even suspect a superhero to have such a normal, boring life?

He's sitting on the side of the classroom, early for the lesson by a few minutes. Most of the students are still hovering by the hall when he gets to his seat, but by now quite a lot has already stepped inside the room.

He watches as the seconds tick by on the clock, tapping his own against his already opened notebook, and he almost doesn't notice when a familiar silhouette sits down on the chair next to his.

There's a quiet shuffle as the person reaches inside their bag, and when Hongjoong steals a glance at the person he's still unsure to call a _friend_ , Seonghwa meets his eye and nods in greeting.

They don't speak at all, even as the class finally starts, but Hongjoong still enjoys the older's presence quietly.

He doesn't get to fully focus on the lesson, though, because as he's writing down his notes, he feels something tap against his ankle gently.

Ignoring it at first, he tunes back into the lecturer's voice, before something knocks into his foot again, and he glances to his side.

He blinks when his eyes meet Seonghwa's gaze, the boy resting his head on his hand as he stares at Hongjoong with, what is it, anticipation?

No matter what the gaze actually means, because it's unfairly cute, and when Hongjoong blinks again, flustered, he feels another tap on his leg.

He quickly glances down, just to find Seonghwa's outstretched leg resting next to his, and when he looks back up, the older's smiling at him softly, waiting.

Uncertain, he brings his foot closer to the older's knocking his shoe lightly against Seonghwa's heel, and he smiles back at the boy shyly, comfortable warmth filling his chest when Seonghwa beams at him in satisfaction.

Then, Hongjoong turns back to his notes, his grip on the pen loose, and he's not surprised when he feels another light tap against his ankle after a few minutes.

He only toes at the older's shoe in reply, and if Seonghwa sees the grin lighting up his face that he's desperately trying to hide, he doesn't comment on it.

(Only a few hours later, Hongjoong realizes he doesn't remember anything from the lecture.)

➳

He's crouching on the edge of the rooftop, staring down at the empty street beneath him. The cold wind tickles the front of his neck, blowing a few strands of his hair, and he involuntarily shivers, before sparing a look at the neighbouring buildings.

One side effect of his powers is his eyes adapting to darkness better than non-Supers do, so he doesn't have to squint or carry around a dumb flashlight while patrolling. Unlike some people.

(Okay, he's speaking of Leo. So what. He's allowed to make fun of his own best friend. It's called best friend privileges.)

Suddenly, his earpiece cracks into life, and a gentle voice fills his ear.

"Scorpio."

It's only one word, but it's enough for him to recognize his other best friend. They haven't been talking as much lately, Yunho being busy with their organization's paperwork, and Hongjoong being... Hongjoong. He's always busy, anyway.

"It's a calm night, isn't it?" he replies, shifting into a more comfortable position and before he knows it, he's already smiling.

"Yeah," the younger murmurs, sounding almost lost in thoughts, " _surprisingly_ calm. It hadn't been this quiet for a long time, now."

A chuckle slips past Hongjoong's lips, "honestly, I'm not gonna complain. It's nice, almost like a vacation."

The line goes silent for a second, "you know, a vacation would be a good idea, for you that is," the boy ignores the witty _are you calling me old?_ and continues, "you've been overworking yourself lately. If I didn't know you better, I'd be worried. No, scratch that, I'm worried anyway," he interrupts himself with a groan, and Hongjoong guesses he must be having a vision, because the younger keeps quiet for a whole minute, "shit. There's gonna be a robbery, pretty close to where you are right now. You've got like, uh, ten minutes to get there, I think."

A smirk makes its way onto his lips.

"Got it."

➳

Following Yunho's suggestion, he decides to take a day off.

He's pretty sure his members would do just fine without him for even longer, but he'd feel to guilty to take a longer break. So, a day it is.

("A _day_?" screeched Yunho when Hongjoong told him the news. The boy looked at him, scandalized, as if Hongjoong went crazy, "what, only _one_ day? That's not an actual vacation, and you know it!"

He could only shrug sheepishly in response.

"It's enough.")

And that's how he finds himself in the kitchen of his rented place, the sleeves of his oversized hoodie bundled up at his elbows as he stirs the ramen he's making.

It's not exactly fancy, but hey. He's a college student. He doesn't have the money to make himself fancy food.

Besides, he's pretty decent at cooking, so it's not the worst thing he's ever going to eat.

He adds a pinch of salt, just because he feels like it, and scrunches his nose at the pan.

It's already dark outside, and he's spent the whole day lazying around. He had pizza delivered to his place in an excuse of a lunch, and he's spent a whole hour yelling the lyrics to his favorite songs, even if he's always been better at rapping than singing. Overall, he thinks he can deem today a pretty nice break from his work.

That is, until he hears a loud thud against the glass door of his balcony, and he pales, before turning down the heat under his ramen.

He glances around the kitchen, nibbling at his lip, then decides to check whatever the noise was.

Walking into the living room, he casts his gaze to the closed door. There's a hunched over figure leaning against the glass, and it takes him a few seconds to recognize the suit the person's wearing ㅡ it's one of his members. Even if he can't tell which one, without seeing the guy's eyes, he still feels a tingle of panic as he paces over, tugging the door open.

The person seems almost as surprised as Hongjoong feels, and he stumbles back into the room before whipping his head to look at Hongjoong, whose breath hitches.

It's Aries.

And, he's bleeding.

"Shit," he whispers, remembering that for the other, he's not Scorpio right now. He's just Hongjoong, "do you need any help?"

The panic in Aries' eyes dims at the words, and he nods sharply as Hongjoong locks the door, before grabbing the other's wrist and gently tugging him over to the couch.

"Listen, I know your identities are a touchy subject for you, so you don't have to tell me anything or take off your mask, but," he glances down at the suspiciously red and sticky stain on the other's shoulder, "if you want me to help with _that_ , I need to see the wound."

Aries nods, and there's an uncertain glint in his eye that makes Hongjoong realize how uncomfortable this must be for him, "I, I can leave you alone, if you'd want to? I need to find the antiseptic, anyway."

There's another nod, and Hongjoong stands up, glancing behind his back before leaving the room, but quickly turning forward again when he sees the contemplative look Aries is sending him.

He doesn't waste his time going to the bathroom and he looks for the antiseptic, grabbing a roll of bandage, before stopping for a second. This is all he needs, right?

He sighs, stepping out of the bathroom. How did he get into this, again?

"I hope you're decent, because I'm going in," he warns, and there's a confirming hum, so he walks inside, his eyes avoiding the other's gaze as he takes a seat next to Aries.

Only then does he look at the other.

The other's back is turned to him, bare of the leather jacket and the stained shirt underneath. The wound looks worse than he'd expected, but at least it's not too deep. Aries' shoulders are tensed up, and he glances at Hongjoong again when he grasps the antiseptic.

"This is going to sting," he murmurs almost automatically, before wincing. Of course the other knows this, it's not the first time Hongjoong's seen him hurt. But it's the first time he's met Aries as _Hongjoong_ , and it makes him kind of awkward. Maybe even flustered.

But the words seem to amuse the other, as he only chuckles before a hiss rips out of his throat when Hongjoong actually applies the antiseptic.

Really, he's trying to be as gentle as he can as he tends to Aries' wound, but it's not easy when his hands keep trembling, and his teeth catch on his lip when he hears the other's breath hitching again.

He doesn't like seeing his members in pain.

There's a light pink dusting the back of the taller's neck. He must feel embarrassed, Hongjoong guesses.

In the end, it takes him a long time to bandage his shoulder, careful not to hurt the taller any further and checking every few seconds if he's doing it right. Aries doesn't say anything though, keeping silent even as Hongjoong cheers when he's finally done, and this time, Hongjoong only turns away when Aries tugs his clothes back on.

He's not expecting it when a warm hand lands on his shoulder hesitantly, and he can feel a huff of breath against his neck when he hears a whisper of, "thanks."

It takes him a second to recognize Aries' voice because of how sore it sounds.

He tells himself he's not worried when the other leaves, just as he denies the blush that makes it way to his cheeks.

➳

It's two days later when Hongjoong comes back from his break at the café, just to stare, dumbfounded, at his friends now sitting by a table in the front of the shop. He doesn't remember them telling him anything about coming to his workplace, so it was either meant to be a surprise or they just spontaneously appeared in the area for no apparent reason.

He squints at the boys from the distance. There's Mingi, sipping on a drink that's probably more sugar than actual coffee, and Yunho, who sees him first (probably felt his presence through his powers or something, Hongjoong thinks) and waves him over wildly with a wide grin. On the other side of the table sits San, whom Hongjoong knows only as Seonghwa's best friend, and it's not surprising when he sees the said best friend sitting next to the boy.

What makes him stop in his tracks, though, is the new, ash blonde color of Seonghwa's hair and he chokes on his spit before making his way over, because _shit_ , it shouldn't look as breathtaking as it does.

He almost stumbles into the table, but he plays it off in a way he hopes is smooth, and looks over everyone by the table, "what are you doing here?"

Yunho beams at him from his seat, scrambling to make place for Hongjoong to sit, and Hongjoong hesitates for only a second before doing so, "we just wanted to see you, Joongs," chirps the boy, his voice so happy Hongjoong can feel it rubbing off on him, "besides, I missed you!"

He rolls his eyes with a gentle smirk, "you've seen me, what, four days ago, though?"

The words earn him a pout from the younger, and immediately, Yunho whines out an _exactly_.

Out of the corner of his eye, Hongjoong sees Mingi reaching out his hand to pat Yunho's head reassuringly, and he turns to face the other side of the table.

"So, uh..." he trails off, glancing at Seonghwa before quickly averting his eyes, "why the blonde?"

The older's face lights up at the question, and he shrugs, "I just wanted a change, I guess."

Hongjoong nods, stealing another glance at the boy. Now that he can actually openly _look_ at him without anyone judging him, the color seems to suit him as well as if he was born with it. A few blonde strands fall down in a gentle curve, landing right before his eyes, and the older reaches up to push the bangs back, and, _oh no_.

Hongjoong whips his head away, feeling his ears burning hot, and Yunho chokes next to him, huffing out a traumatized whisper of _what the fuck, Joongs_.

Both San and Seonghwa stare at the two of them, perplexed, but Mingi seems to catch on almost immediately as he bursts into a full body laugh.

Hongjoong's pretty sure he can faintly hear San asking Seonghwa if his friends are okay, but he's too busy trying not to combust from embarrassment.

He knows Yunho's power, besides being able to glimpse into the future, is also reflecting people's feelings, but he can't really control his emotions when Seonghwa's sitting in front of him in all his dyed hair glory, looking so pretty Hongjoong's scared he might have a heart attack.

So he scrambles to stand up, reminding the boys that he's still working, before running away to hide in the break room, again.

Nobody notices if his break is slightly longer than usual, anyway.

➳

Hongjoong isn't expecting to ever see Aries again without his disguise.

That's why he almost jumps out of his skin when he hears a knock on his bedroom's window that night, after he's done with work.

He turns on his spot, not hiding his surprise when he sees the guy sitting on the windowsill outside. His eyes crinkle up adorably, a clear sign that he's smiling, and he taps the glass again, before Hongjoong finally opens the window and lets the boy slide inside.

"A-Aries," he stutters, trying to come up with anything to say, "is your shoulder okay?"

The other nods quickly, his eyes shining in the lights of Hongjoong's bedroom, and he keeps one of his hands behind his back. He raises one of his brows playfully, and Hongjoong can't hide his curiosity as he asks, "What's that?"

The other's eyes twinkle before he slowly reaches his hand out, and Hongjoong's mind short circuits when he sees the single rose carefully held in his palm.

"It's for you," he murmurs, grasping one of Hongjoong's hands before pushing the rose into his palm. At a loss of words, Hongjoong can only blink back at him as Aries winks at him cheekily, before turning back to the window. Without a single sign of a struggle, he slips out of the room, throwing one last glance back at Hongjoong with a small wave, and with that, he's gone.

And if Hongjoong doesn't move from his spot for the next five minutes, nobody needs to know that.

➳

Hongjoong's always thought of Yunho's power to glimpse into the future as a blessing.

Now, he's not so sure anymore.

Because, as they're standing in the conference room, both of them clad in their suits, he stares at the younger with wide eyes, panic slowly setting in, making his heart almost jump out of his throat.

"What do you mean?" he stutters out, taking a step closer and grasping the boy's shoulders as his eyes search Yunho's own terrified gaze.

"I, I only saw it a few minutes ago, but Jesus, Hongjoong, it was _horrifying_ ," the boy interrupts himself, taking a deep breath and trying to steady his voice ㅡ they're alone in the room, so they don't need to use their aliases, though even if they did, Hongjoong's pretty sure Yunho wouldn't remember it in his current state, "it was Aries. He was alone, probably already off to a safe space, but _shit_ , he looked a second from dying," his voice cracks in the middle of the sentence, and he blinks back the tears threatening to spill, "fuck, Hongjoong, I don't want this to happen. _Please_ , tell me this won't happen."

Yunho seems as if this wasn't all he wanted to say, but a sob rips out of his throat and Hongjoong can only bring the younger closer, letting the taller lean down and bury his head into Hongjoong's shoulder with a whimper.

Rubbing comforting circles into his friend's back, he wonders how, exactly, can he change the future from Yunho's vision.

➳

The next day, when he walks into the campus library, he's too worried to actually do any of his work properly.

He's spent the rest of the night shifting from side to side in his bed, unable to fall asleep, and he's not sure how he's going to survive the entire day with the thudding headache that reminds him of its own presence with every step he takes.

He leans against one of the shelves, trying to steady his breathing. The pill he took a whole hour ago doesn't seem to work as his legs almost give out under his weight, and he heaves a sigh as he pushes off the shelf, taking a few cautious steps in the direction of the counter.

He doesn't get to make it, though, because the next thing he knows, everything goes black.

➳

He wakes up slowly, in a bed that's not his.

The soft pillows and warm blanket he's tucked under faintly smell of roses, and it's such a nice realization, he doesn't feel like getting out of bed.

He blinks blearily, burying his head deeper into the pillows, and a chuckle fills the room, making Hongjoong's eyes fly open again.

He whips his head towards the source of the sound, startling when he sees none other than Seonghwa sitting by a desk, his hands frozen on the keyboard of a laptop, and the older's smiling down at him amusedly.

He clears his throat before speaking up, "where are we?"

The blonde's grin widens the slightest bit at the question, and he turns in his chair to face Hongjoong before smoothly replying, "at my dorm."

Hongjoong only gapes at him in reply.

"Andㅡ why?"

The boy tilts his head to the side, scrunching his nose at what Hongjoong guesses is a memory, "you were sick. I saw you at the library and when I was about to walk up and greet you, you just, fainted," Seonghwa explains, and Hongjoong winces at the words, before schooling his expression again, "so I thought, _Jesus, I can't just leave him here_. You're lucky my dorm's close to the library and you're not that heavy."

At that, Hongjoong partly wants to hide and prays for the sheets to swallow him, but partly feels grateful for the older. It's kind of funny, because all this time they've known each other, he's never been to Seonghwa's dorm before.

Now, when he looks around, the room seems just so _Songhwa-like_ it almost hurts.

There's a pile of books stacked on top of the nightstand, and Hongjoong vaguely remembers them from the library he works at, though they've been gone for longer than a month.

(That's against the rules, but Hongjoong might have a soft spot for the blonde, so.)

On the windowsill rest two potted flowers, looking like they've been well taken care of. The desk by which Seonghwa's sitting is the only thing messy about the whole room, full of flying notes and an open textbook thrown carelessly to the side. Otherwise, the dorm is fairly neat.

Turning back to gaze at Seonghwa, he's too sleepy to feel ashamed at his obvious staring. The older seems to be in a surprisingly good mood ㅡ a small smile tugs at his lips as he types, and his eyes catch the light of the nightlamp.

In his sleepy state, he thinks the boy looks especially soft. Maybe Hongjoong wants to cuddle with him.

He clears his throat, snatching Seonghwa's attention again, "do you mind if I, uh, stay here a little longer?"

The older's eyebrows rise in amusement before he replies, "of course not. You should rest some more, anyway."

(And so Hongjoong drifts back to sleep, lulled by the rosy scent of the pillows.)

➳

By the time Hongjoong goes out on a patrol again, the memory of his and Yunho's talk is already buried far, far away in his mind.

Maybe that's why he lets Aries slip from his fingers in the last second.

They're standing on the rooftop Hongjoong's always liked the most, spending most of his time on the calmer nights on this exact building. He's never actually told any of his members about it, about his little safe space, and yet somehow, Aries found him by the edge, and instead of questioning him, he only offered Hongjoong his hand to help him stand.

At the time, Hongjoong had no idea what Aries was about to tell him, so he only greeted the other with a nod before taking the other's hand in his.

When the boy pulls him up, they end up the slightest bit closer than Hongjoong predicted, but he guesses, he doesn't actually mind it.

"I need you to trust me," whispered Aries, his wide eyes searching Hongjoong's own. He's not sure for what, but it seems like the boy found whatever it is, because soon his eyes crinkle up a bit, satisfied.

The boy takes a deep breath, slowly releasing it. In the meantime, he plays with Hongjoong's fingers anxiously, and Hongjoong lets him, even if his heart jumps and threatens to leap out of his chest.

"I," the boy tries, but interrupts himself almost immediately, his eyes furrowing as his gaze falls to the ground. It takes him a full minute to meet Hongjoong's eyes again, "There's something I need to do. I, I don't think it's safeㅡ no, it's probably not, actually. But I know what the Illusionist is planning, and I think, I know how to stop it."

Hongjoong's eyes widen at the words, and for a second, he's at a loss of words, his fingers gripping Aries' own, "no, oh my God, you can'tㅡ that's literally suicidal, I can't let you do thatㅡ"

Before he can say anything else, though, Aries suddenly invades his personal space, his eyes wide and pleading, enough to get Hongjoong to trail off.

"Please, trust me this _one_ time," and what can Hongjoong say, when the other seems so desperate?

So, after a moment of hesitation, he only nods, huffing out a quiet _okay_. Even if it's everything but okay.

"Close your eyes?"

It sounds more like a question than a request, but Hongjoong decides to go with his own word, and trust the other boy, just once. He sighs, slowly letting his eyelids fall closed, and he waits only for a heartbeat before there's a light tug at his mask, and he doesn't protest as a hesitant hand pulls it down completely.

His breath hitches when another hand comes up to cup his jaw, tilting his head upwards. He can feel a light puff of air on his mouth, and his shoulders tense up before a pair of lips meets his own.

It's only a peck, barely a brush of lips, and Hongjoong's hesitant to even call it an actual kiss. But he can feel Aries' thumb caressing his cheek gently, and the action alone makes his knees feel weak, so he's grateful for the arm that keeps him steady.

Before the other can back away fully, though, Hongjoong panics, already missing the touch, and brings his hand up to rest on the back of the other's neck, and pulls him back in, chasing his lips.

It's clearly not what the taller expected, based on the way his breath hitches before a whimper rumbles out of his throat, and Aries tugs him closer for a breathtaking second, before this time, succesfully backing away.

"You can open your eyes again."

Doing what he's told, he finds the other's mask already tugged back on his face, and his gaze seems so full of emotions that Hongjoong doesn't dare think about.

His thumb rubs Hongjoong's cheek again, before his eyes crinkle up in an invisible smile, "trust me, Hongjoong. I'll be back."

And with that, he takes a step over the edge and disappears from Hongjoong's view.

➳

There are two things Hongjoong knows for a fact: _one_ , Aries has been gone for a whole week now, and _two_ , Aries knows that Scorpio, is in fact, Hongjoong.

He's been pacing in the conference room for the last thirty minutes, trying to come up with an answer as to where, exactly, Aries is right now ㅡ because he won't admit it, no, Aries can't be dead. He must be hiding. Or maybe he got captured.

His eyebrows furrow, but then, if Aries got captured, and his plans of stopping the villain didn't work, wouldn't the Illusionist do something by now?

But nothing's happening, and the radio silence is driving him insane.

He can't stop thinking about Aries, about the kiss and his obnoxiously extra way of disappearing, but he also feels guilty, and so fucking restless.

A hand waves in front of his face, and he stops in his tracks, turning to look at Yunho.

"Joong, it's pointless," murmurs the boy, his eyes not nearly meeting Hongjoong's gaze, "your worrying won't change anything. It'll only make you feel worse."

"But I _can't_ just, stop worrying," he shoots back, his voice cracking in the middle of the sentence, and he knows he must look pathetic, because he sure feels like it, too.

"Come on, Joong, you need to restㅡ"

Before the younger can finish his sentence, the door slams open and a breathless Mingi runs inside. He rests his hands on the table, panting heavily as he tries to catch his breath, and Hongjoong's worry only skyrockets.

"Shit, Mingi, what's wrong?" huffs out Yunho, immediately by the other's side, and the boy glances at him, before looking directly at Hongjoong.

"It's Aries," he stammers, taking another deep breath before continuing, "he's back."

➳

The thing is, they don't let Hongjoong see the other boy until a few hours later ㅡ something about him being too stressed out, or whatever, but it ends up only making him even more jitterish.

He stands in the hall, his foot tapping against the floor anxiously as he cheks the hour for the fifth time this minute, and his heart almost jumps out of his throat when finally, the door open, and a tired looking Mingi walks out.

"He's gonna be okay," the younger starts, but winces in the middle of the sentence, "though, if he came any moment later, he'd..."

The unsaid _he wouldn't make it_ hangs, heavy in the air, but Hongjoong's just relieved to hear that Aries' okay. He sighs, his shoulders finally relaxing, and he glances behind Mingi into the room.

"You should talk to him, though."

The words surprise him, and he whips his head to shoot a questioning stare at the younger, who only shakes his head, "just. You need to see it yourself."

With that, Mingi steps to the side, allowing Hongjoong entrance, and he carefully locks the door.

From the distance, Hongjoong can see a blonde figure laying in one of the improvised hospital beds. His back is turned to Hongjoong, and his suit lays to the side, on a stray chair. Instead, the boy's wearing one of the white shirts they always slip the injured into, and Hongjoong feels a pang of guilt at the sight of his hunched back.

Careful not to distutb the other, he slowly makes his way over, grabbing one of the spare chairs and placing it next to the bed. After taking the seat, he finally lets himself look at Aries' back again.

"I'm sorry," he murmurs, reaching out his hand to gently run it through the other's blonde hair, and the boy stills, turning around as he replies, "you shouldn't be."

And then, Hongjoong's breath hitches, because the boy's finally facing him, and it'sㅡ it's Seonghwa.

But then, of course it is. When Hongjoong thinks about it, he's actually quite shocked he hasn't figured it out, before. Because for him, it's always been Seonghwa.

"Shit, I was so worried, but. But you're okay now, right? You're okay nowㅡ" a sob interrupts him, and only then does he realize he's crying, and he rubs his eye harshly, but a light touch on his wrist stops him and he glances at the older again.

And Seonghwa's smiling. The same kind of smile Hongjoong's seen on him so many times, the one that he always directed at Hongjoong, a comforting smile that's soft at the edges, his eyes crinkling up in the way he remembers Aries' eyes always did, andㅡ oh, he's getting emotional.

"It's okay, Joong. I'm okay," he murmurs, resting his weight on his elbows, just enough to be able to bring himself up to Hongjoong's level, and it feels like the first time that it's Seonghwa who has to look _up_ into Hongjoong's eyes.

Then, the blonde leans closer, and Hongjoong's heart makes a wild leap when the boy places a gentle peck on the top of his nose.

"Again. It's okay. We're okay."

And once more, Hongjoong believes him.

➳

_("Hey, how'd you even know it was me, as Scorpio?" he asks one night as the older lets Hongjoong spoon him, tucking his head into Seonghwa's shoulder to try and see the boy's reaction to the words._

_The blonde only chuckles softly, as if it was the most hilarious thing he's ever heard, and his voice is slurred with sleep when he replies, "really, Joong, it's not that hard to figure out when you're the only person in the area to get a mullet.")_

**Author's Note:**

> this is FINALLY finished nd now i can finally breathe again, oh my ;;  
> if anything felt kinda off it's probably bc this is my first ateez fic fkjhkjhkgjsh (nd also the fact that i. wrote this on a Whim)  
> for real tho i've always loved superhero au's and writing one feels like it's not....... Enough . but i hope u liked this fic anyway!!!!!
> 
> if u want to hmu my tumblr is @ starryhwa (is it obvious who's my bias lmao) and please!!!!! please leave some feedback if u liked this ;;;;


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